Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma, Played by Osvaldo Benavides, Is Now a Main Character on 'The Good Doctor'

Throughout the five seasons of The Good Doctor, the cast has seen quite a few noticeable changes. One of the most recent switch-ups is that Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma (Osvaldo Benavides) went from somewhat of a side character to a much more integral member of the cast.

With that being said, who exactly is Osvaldo Benavides on The Good Doctor and what renewed purpose does his character serve to the overall plot of the show? Keep reading to find out.

During Part 1 of the Season 4 finale of The Good Doctor, fans were first introduced to Osvaldo's character, Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma. At that time in the show, the San Jose St. Bonaventure team was working on a surgical mission deep in Guatemala. Aside from the commendable humanitarian work showcased, Mateo and another series regular, Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Chang), developed a close-knit relationship that would turn romantic.

While joining Audrey on a taxi ride from a bar to their hotel, the duo were kidnapped by a desperate local man. Instead of the situation going south, however, the budding lovers actually teamed up and helped deliver a baby for the kidnapper's niece. The episode ended with Audrey and Mateo spending the night together.

The Season 5 premiere of The Good Doctor carried true on its promise of including Mateo a lot more. Although he is concerned that his unnamed "previous issues" in America might not be resolved, the cast members are nonetheless in a festive mood over Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) and Lea Dilallo's (Paige Spara) upcoming engagement party. Audrey and Mateo attend the party together, showing their colleagues that they're more than just coworkers.

However, the episode ends with Audrey pushing for more for Mateo, specifically that he be made a permanent staff member at San Jose St. Bonaventure. In the very last scene of the episode, Audrey was preparing to present her budget report to the hospital’s board members. Beyond that, she also proposes if Mateo could step in as a new surgical attending due to the fact that the role had not been filled since the death of Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez) in Season 3.

Just as Audrey was about to enter the room, it's revealed that the meeting had already ended. Furthermore, Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) tells Audrey that the meeting only had one purpose: to reveal that the hospital was purchased by Salen Morrison (Rachel Bay Jones). Given that hiccup, it's unclear as of now where Mateo will fall into it all, but as a part of Audrey's life, it seems that he's here to stay.

Check out new episodes of The Good Doctor airing Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.